Discovering 7 new wonders of the world

What traveler wouldn’t want to say they’ve seen the Seven Wonders of the World? Well, unless you’re a traveler from centuries ago, it’s not likely a statement you can make. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only one left, and the other six have been long gone. In fact, they are so long gone it’s possible you’ve never heard of some of them. Does the Mausoleum of Halicarnassus ring a bell? How about the Temple of Artemis at Ephesus? To check your knowledge of these ancient wonders, click here to view a full list of the Seven Wonders of the World.

But since these wonders are no longer in existence, what about sites like Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal, and the Great Wall of China? These are incredible structures that you can still see — some of you might have already — so why not count these as wonders of the world? Well, that’s exactly what the New7Wonders Foundation wants to do. Their project intends to establish a new list of wonders from places you can still visit today. Headed by Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber, N7W has started a coalition to officially elect the New Seven Wonders of the World (as opposed to those of the now ancient world). And, unlike the previous list which was chosen by one man, Philon of Byzantium in 200 B.C, this new list is being voted on by the entire world!

There are 21 finalists in the running from all corners of the globe. Many of the finalists are remnants of ancient civilizations, sites like Chichen Itza, Maccu Pichu and Angkor and are already on the official Unesco World Heritage List. Yet there are also some much newer structures, like the Statue of Liberty and the Sydney Opera House that have made it into the running as well.

So what do you think should be considered an official wonder of the world? To cast your vote click here. You can either vote online for free (by signing up as a member) or you can call in your vote (international calling rates apply). It’s a little like the American Idol of world heritage sites – who’s your favorite, the Acropolis or the Kremlin?

The official day of declaration is none other than 07.07.07, so be sure to bet your vote in before July. And then you can officially add “see the Seven Wonders of the World” on your travel to-do list.